


A Step Into Eternity

by Zeiskyte



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Also Viktor has the biggest crush on Caitlyn because I'm Case Study trash, And it probably only makes sense to me but there's a lack of Vik fanfics so, Beggars can't be choosers, But Viktor is the husbando so I gotta write something about him, F/M, I have been writing this terrible thing since January 2016, This goes deep into headcanon territory, This is canon and an AU at the same time so it's pretty weird
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2018-11-22 00:44:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11369028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeiskyte/pseuds/Zeiskyte
Summary: Viktor, a cop in Piltover, is dragged into an alternate reality where he is the Machine Herald of Zaun.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is heavily inspired by progenitorviktor (http://progenitorviktor.tumblr.com/)'s Piltovian Cop Viktor AU. The only way I can simply explain it is imagine Prototype Viktor is an alternate version of classic Viktor and he's not a cyborg; instead, he is born and raised in Piltover and works as an officer with Caitlyn, Vi, and Jayce. (Essentially, he looks like this: http://progenitorviktor.tumblr.com/post/113053949006/do-you-have-any-headcanons-for-what-viktor-would) So we have Viktor the Machine Herald (classic skin) in the canon universe and this Piltovian cop Viktor (non-cyborg) in an alternate universe. "Viktor" refers to this Piltovian Viktor; "The Herald" refers to (classic) Viktor.
> 
> I honestly don't have any other ways to explain this fic. It's really weird and probably makes no sense, but it's one of my favorite works and, after debating for nearly a year and a half, I decided I would post it. If you have any questions or are confused, feel free to send me a pm or review and I'll be sure to clear things up. As of right now, I only have the ending left to write, but I'll be publishing chapters as I type them up. I hope you enjoy this monstrosity, constructive criticism is very welcome!

Darkness. It surrounded him, encased him in something he couldn't fathom. Emotions enveloped him- sadness, envy, depression, loathing... they were all he knew, his _being_. He failed to remember a time where he didn't feel like this- an existence free of this pain.

 _Stanwick_. That name was one that rang clear in his thoughts. It was important to him. Maybe he was the one who made him feel this way?

Viktor felt his face, his fingers meeting with warm tears. He distantly wondered when the last time he cried was. Did it matter?

He knew he hated this man- he knew it right down to his core- and he didn't know why. Despite the hatred that burned deep inside him- the unexplainable anger coursing through his body- he had no idea why this man was the target for his rage. But what sense did anything make lately?

And in the next instant, he was in a slightly-more lit room, and the scene in front of him was clear to see. There were bookshelves filled to the brim with books, and small inventions littered the room. In some parts, the wooden floors were clear; in others, spare pieces of metal and tools were scattered. It was almost like a laboratory- one that he mused would be like his if he was some mad scientist, such as the ones in Zaun.

He was snapped out of his musings when he felt his lower left arm burning. Glancing down at it, he almost took a double take as he watched his own right hand, moving on its own accord, ripping his flesh off. He tried to scream, but no sound escaped his lips; it was as if he was in a vacuum, isolated and alone and unable to speak.

He could hardly breathe- he felt as if he should have been hyperventilating- but he had no control of his body except his eyes. It was a cruel fate, being forced to watch what was occurring. And even then, it felt like an out-of-body experience, and he was powerless to do anything.

And once again, he blacked out and found himself not in the scene before; instead, he was standing in front of a metal door. He adorned metal armor as well as a blue half-cape that fell over his shoulder; it was warm against his neck, a stark contrast to the coldness of the rest of his getup. He could no longer feel his lower left arm, and with a quick glance, he noticed that it was replaced by metal. Despite his initial surprise, he attempted his best to stay calm and compose himself, but just as he did, the door opened to meet a familiar face.

_Jayce?_

Although he essentially felt as if he yelled the name, he had made no sound. Instead, a foreign sentence was upon his tongue and he was powerless to do anything. It was strange; it didn't seem like a dream, but more like a semi-lucid nightmare. Before he could dwell on the matter further, the man at the door drew his attention.

The fellow Piltovian seemed a bit uneasy in his presence... it was almost like the two were strangers and Viktor was somehow intimidating. Was it the armor? His synthetic metal hand? The... third robotic arm... mounted on his... shoulder?

How had he not noticed the third arm earlier?

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, he took notice of how gruff and _metallic_ his voice sounded. No wonder Jayce was intimidated. But the fact that the other man didn't _recognize_ him? That was just odd.

It was when the brunette inquired him about the mask he was wearing that he realized he was, indeed, _wearing a mask._ Without inspecting it, the knowledge of the exact indents and design of the mask appeared in his mind, like it was _supplied_ to him. The cold of the metal chilled his face, but the force controlling his body was unaffected; but for Viktor, all he wanted to do was remove the mask and reveal himself to his best friend, but he knew he was powerless to do anything. Would Jayce even recognize him?

Clinging to the slim chance of Jayce recognizing him, he willed his right hand to renounce the mask. It felt like an unknown force was restraining him, though... The only movement he could get was a small twitch of his thumb and for his hand to slightly clench.

Suddenly, his right hand fell to his side and an intense migraine came upon him. He wanted to rub his temples to ease the ache, but he painstakingly recalled that he wasn't exactly in control of his body. It was at that moment that the deep, rugged voice of the machine-augmented man in control of his body (he couldn't bring himself to identify the two of them as the same person) crept into his mind.

_Stop butting into a conversation that does not concern you. I do not appreciate both your presence and your interference with my affairs._

At this, the Piltovian cop was incredulous. He believed this to be a semi-lucid dream; it was on the verge of being real, but every event furthered his belief that this was reality. He was trapped in the mind of an alternate reality version of himself? It was ridiculous, thinking of it rationally- but that was the conclusion he kept drawing.

He heard a sigh from the other him. _Your thoughts are very pestering and quite distracting, Viktor._

Realizing the two could communicate, he willed his thoughts to the alternate him. _Wait... aren't you also Viktor? And if we are the same person, why are we so different?_

Viktor felt an odd sensation as the barrier between the two's minds collapsed. Instantly, his mind flooded with memories that weren't his own. Echoes of old, disembodied voices filled his head and visions of scenes and people he never knew flashed across his eyes. Raw emotions from this other him filled his being- he felt bipolar with the many emotions overwhelming him.

He was brought back to reality when the other him shot, _You can just refer to me as the Herald_.

Viktor heard a tinge of longing in the Herald's voice, as if his memories of Piltover and his friends made him jealous. If the Herald was more machine than man, how would he still retain emotions?

 _Herald_ , he began, the name strange on his tongue, _are you en-_

He bit his lip (mentally, at least) and rethought his question. He couldn't ask the Herald if he was envious of his life in Piltover.

Viktor cleared his throat prior to re-inquiring. _... Is this an alternate reality to my world? It's clear that you and I are the same person, but just on different courses of worldlines. And how did I get here?_

The man felt his eyes move to Jayce, of whom the Herald was still conversing with. They were speaking about some arcane crystal, which sounded like it was in the Piltovian's possession, and the Zaunite was attempting to establish a deal where the two could further this "Glorious Evolution" of the Herald's that he rambled on about.

He figured that this other iteration of him wasn't going to answer whilst the discussion with the other scientist, so Viktor allowed himself this time to dissect what had occurred during this adventure of his.

He recalled coming to awareness to darkness and a great sense of depression and finding himself crying. The next thing he knew, he was in "his" lab, replacing his arm with an engineered metal one and yearning to scream in intense pain. The latest occurrence was appearing at his friend Jayce's laboratory in Piltover, a place he remembered fondly from his reality. Regarding the situation from his disembodiment, he was unsure. Perhaps by some strange occurrence, he was thrown into this alternate world and took refuge in the mind of his counterpart. He pondered how the Herald recognized him as being the same person as him, but it seemed rational with how the two of them thought similarly. Same person, same mind... Just different memories and experiences, he assumed. It seemed as if the Viktor of this world saw many more hardships than him. But in the end, they were one and the same.

Suddenly, anger and frustration pent up inside of him. It had to be the Herald, no doubt about it. Observing the scene, it was hard to focus with the Herald's usually-calm mind erupting into entropy and a mess of irrational thoughts. Through sheer willpower, Viktor was able to will their shared heart to slow down to normal, as well as take long, calming breaths. Without even knowing the context, he knew emotion would waver the Herald's decision, and as anger was what appeared prominent, it seemed likely for the man to get flustered and take it out on Jayce, the one thing Viktor would not allow him to do.

Breaking the silence after the storm, the cop heard a quiet "thank you" from the Herald, something he would have never expected to hear.

In the reality, Jayce refused to work towards the Glorious Evolution, and if Viktor hadn't got the Herald under control, chaos would have ensued and who knew if Jayce would've survived. He had to somewhat will the Herald to not destroy the Piltovian's lab then and there, and reluctantly, he obliged. The cyborg forced himself to remain civil and respect the brunette's decision, and it was all owed to Viktor.

 _Perhaps you can go on good terms with Jayce in this reality, Herald... The two of you have much in common_ , he began, watching the Piltovian's lab fade into the distance as they left. He hoped that the Herald would be able to become friends with the other scientist; perhaps, that way, this reality could be similar to his own. Becoming friends with Jayce could lead into the connection with Vi and Caitlyn.

Viktor perked up at the mention of his love interest. Maybe the Herald would share his feelings for the sherriff...

 _What are you still blabbering on about? Love?_ The Herald rolled his eyes from behind his mask. _I do not know the exact circumstances of your world, but I believe we differ in that way._

Viktor began to smile sheepishly as thoughts of Caitlyn swarmed his mind, the images and the giddy feeling of infatuation seeping into the mind of the Herald soon after. Through his trance-like state, he thought he heard the other him chuckle slightly, but it must have been a scowl.

_We'll see how fate connects you two, Herald._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, it's weird. The fic started as a one-shot, where Viktor would have a nightmare of being the Machine Herald, and it just turned into this really weird body sharing/switching thing. It's why I've been writing this for the past year and a half- there was no plot. I've either had no time, no inspiration, or just flat out had writer's block and had no idea how to continue writing it. I don't know how many times I wrote myself into a corner and spent months trying to think of how to get myself out of it.
> 
> Not sure when I'll publish the next chapter. I have this written in a notebook and I'm typing it up as I go. Until then, thanks for reading and hopefully see you next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sosososo sorry for not updating in such a long time. I feel like a jerk because I have the chapters written in a notebook, it's just my lazy self doesn't want to type it out. Well, it's more like I haven't had the time to type it, but that's besides the point. Don't take 3 AP classes. Please.
> 
> So this chapter goes into really deep headcanon territory. I wrote this fic when I was obsessed with the idea of the Zaun orphan theory, and I had incorporated Viktor into it. I never thought I would post it and thought I would be the only one to ever read it, but there was a lack of Vik fics. 
> 
> Typing this up, I totally forgot how confusing this fic was with two Viktor's... I regret writing this...

It was one of those rare nights that the Herald actually submitted to his exhaustion, that Viktor was able to invade his dreams and finally speak to the other him face to face.

They were in downtown Zaun, where smog swirled above them and chemicals vaporized around them. The two of them were situated behind a tall building, obscuring them from view from the street, a fact both or them were silently grateful for.

The Herald was the first to speak. "Do you have even the slightest clue as to how you arrived in this world? Any strange occurrence that could possibly throw you into this world and into my mind?"

Viktor's gaze shifted to the asphalt they were standing on, as if he was nervous. He still was weirded out by hearing a warped version of his own voice coming out of someone else's mouth; he never thought he would overcome that.

He was hesitant in his answer. "N-no... frankly, I don't even recall what happened prior to finding myself in this reality. All I remember was coming to and being blasted by emotions- something about this man named Stanw-"

"Don't say his name." The Herald interrupted as if all he heard was the professor's name and not the officer's anecdote. "If you were unable to tell, that man is the reason I deviated from you. He stole my invention, claimed it as his own, convinced all of Zaun _I_ was stealing it from _him_ , and framed me I felt as if the world had turned against me, and all I could trust was myself.

"I turned to techmaturgy, my passion, in hopes of pulling myself out of my depression. If I could engineer body parts for myself and became superior, not even that goddamned professor could steal my work from me."

As the cyborg wove his story, the Piltovian had shivers sent down his spine. In his world, Stanwick Piddidly was a renowned scientist from Zaun. Who knew he could be so devilish to his own students?

"Don't judge a book by its cover, as cliché as it may sound," the man concluded abruptly, his hand moving to cover his mouth as he forced a cough.

Viktor perked up at the notion; it reminded him of a question he was going to ask the other him. "Herald," he began, his voice becoming slightly hesitant as he continued on, "do you mind... removing your mask?"

The Zaunite turned to him with a look of confusion, as if he was gesturing the other man to explain his request further. The Piltie scrambled nervously, "I-it's strange, to say the least, to be conversing with you and for you to have that mask on. It just seems like a boundary between the two of us that actually _could_ be overcome."

Viktor knew the Herald narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow in slight confusion at the request, but a few moments later, the man reached up his right, organic hand and reluctantly removed the mask.

The Herald essentially appeared the same as his counterpart, but he had more evident bags under his amber eyes, as well as some subtle wrinkles near his forehead. His hair was nearly identical to Viktor's aside from being slightly more gravity-defiant. It seemed that the only thing that distinguished the two was the Herald's augments.

Viktor noticed immediately how the other him displayed a different demeanor once the mask was off. Was it his facade? Did he rely on that piece of metal to obscure his real self from humanity? Was he _ashamed_?

"It is not necessary to stare. We share the same appearance," the Herald scowled bluntly, his nose scrunching in annoyance. "Besides," he rose his gaze from the pavement and more towards Viktor's position, "What does flesh resulting from different gene assortments have in relation to one's ideals and accomplishments?"

The Piltovian narrowed his eyes slightly in thought. "Perhaps nothing, but that doesn't mean you have to hide behind a mask." Viktor paused, the thought of the Glorious Evolution entering his mind. "Maybe some citizens are intimidated by the mask and fear asking to become an acolyte. If they saw a human face bearing augments, perhaps it would seem more like a reality and less of an impossible feat. That way, they can see how techmaturgy is beneficial and how evolution is possible. There's still going to be those who oppose, but there will still be willing citizens approaching you, Herald. Why hide your true self from your people?"

Silence filled the tense air between the two men. Viktor stood stoically, in wait of an answer by his augmented counterpart, and by the look of deep thought on the Zaunite's face, a rebuttal was imminent.

However, just as the man opened his mouth and began to speak, a small, dark-haired child dashed by the two of them. Both watched the boy in slight confusion before it simultaneously registered in their minds.

It was a younger iteration of the two of them. But the one who looked the most shocked had to be the Herald. To Viktor, it was a younger version of them, but to the Herald, the boy was innocent and naive and hadn't suffered through the hardships that had transformed him into who he was presently. This child existed before his descent into madness- before he was cynical, before the world had turned on him.

That boy was _Viktor_.

The Herald's mouth hung agape and his grip tightened on the mask in his hand. Under all that metal, his heart begged him to follow the boy, to relive his happier memories, but he knew it was a dream. A chimerical fantasy- an _illusion_ of his past- but the longing in his heart felt so _real_.

Viktor could simply read the Zaunite's face and tell he was yearning to chase after his younger self, but it was evident he was trying to mask such _human_ desires. Wanting to elicit an unexpected reaction from the other him, he said, "You're free to go after him, Herald," he slightly smirked, "It's your dream, after all."

The Zaunite raised his eyebrows in surprise, fabricating an excuse almost instantly. "I wonder why you would state such a thing when the possibility of this being _your_ dream is just as likely," he stated, obviously masking his true feelings, but Viktor would have none of that.

"You know that's a lie, Herald. We _both_ know you want to go after him." The augmented man narrowed his eyes at his other self, and after a tense moment of the two staring each other down, he lessened his glare.

Without a word, the Herald made his way past the Piltovian and turned the corner of the alleyway, his gaze being met by a group of seven or eight children. Amongst them was a nine-year-old Viktor, who instantly caught the attention of the two men. However, it was only the Herald who recognized the rest of the gang.

The Zaunite took notice of the three children near his younger self- a dark-skinned boy and two pale girls. It was a seven-year-old Ekko, who stood close by young Viktor; and an eight-year-old Vi who stood beside her ten-year-old sister, X. The Herald watched the four in disbelief, memories of his childhood resurfacing in his mind. His first reaction was to look at the back of his left hand and frown slightly, something Viktor didn't quite understand, but he didn't question it; not when the Herald seemed so _vulnerable_.

He took a tentative step forward, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. It seemed too real for a dream; the children in front of him couldn't _possibly_ be a figment of his imagination. Ekko appeared just the same as the Herald remembered him. At least before the incident at the college...

He nodded off the thought, choosing to not relive his best friend's "death", and simply opting to analyze the two young girls. The girl with the roman numeral six tattooed crudely on her cheek- she liked to be called Vi- was as blunt and rebellious as he remembered. It was odd, however, to see the girl as a brunette, as compared to her mop of pink hair in the present time. Beside her was X, whose long, braided brunette tresses hung behind her back; and associating that letter to her was odd to the Herald. In the present, all of Valoran knew her as Jinx, the insane bluenette, so seeing her once again as the brunette orphan X was incredulous.

"Is that...?" The Herald seemed to snap out of a trance as his Piltovian counterpart spoke, "... Ekko, Vi, and Jinx?"

The Zaunite shook his head to rid himself of his nostalgia before meeting the matching amber gaze of the other him. "Yes," he began, his tone somber, "we survived on the streets together after-"

He paused, his gaze shifting downcast. "I don't think you know about that."

Viktor seemed surprised. "What? About what?" he tried to ferret an answer from the Herald, but he came to the conclusion that it was a touchy subject. _Better unsaid_ , he assumed.

The augmented man let a sigh escape his lips, his eyes shut in solemn recollection. "It is not of any significance compared to the other events of my childhood, but if you wish to know," he paused, amber orbs lingering on the younger version of himself, "I was kidnapped as a newborn and experimented on for the first years of my life. During an experiment when I was around the age of eight, some government men stumbled upon the lab and rescued the other children and I, releasing us into the real world. As it was Zaun, there was no extra money to allow us a place to reside, so we all ended up living on the streets.

"I found a group of children around my age and each and every one of us had a backstory that none wanted to disclose. It took about three years of being friends with Ekko, Vi, and X for us to talk about our pasts together. It was also around that time Vi left the gang to join one in Piltover, leaving her sister without much purpose-"

"Is that why Jinx went insane? Her mortal enemy now- her sister- _left her_?" Viktor felt odd speaking after the other him sort of monologued, but he was anxious to ask the question. As expected, the Herald, once again, looked as if he was broken out of a trance. He most likely was, as he was reminiscing and reliving his childhood. He felt a pang of sadness when the vivid vision of his three friends faded from his mind and was replaced by the old alleyway the two were in.

He frowned slightly, his fingers readjusting their hold on his mask, and he distantly pondered about mounting it back upon his face. Viktor, on the other hand, regretted inquiring about the bluenette and when he noticed the Herald's focus fall upon the mask, he jumped forward and grabbed it.

The Herald was startled when the other him also held the mask, an act the Zaunite would not have expected. After gazing upon Viktor's hand grasping the mask, the two's matching amber gazes met. Viktor had a straight face, a huge contrast to the Herald's incredulous expression, and the augmented man sighed, knowing it would be impossible to revert back to the Machine Herald with his counterpart there. He shut his eyes lightly and willed the mask to disappear, his hand clutching around the empty space of where it was.

As soon as the mask dematerialized, the world around the two began to fade; the building disappeared and the sky flickered into non-existence, and both men knew the dream was ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This felt a lot longer when I wrote it...
> 
> Again, sorry for not updating in such a long time. And there's probably a ton of typos but I'm too tired to care right now. Also, sorry for this fic for being so weird and confusing. I really thought I would never post it but I guess I have no choice but to post the entire thing.
> 
> So while typing this up, I didn't realize how symbolic I wrote this to be. It was like a crackfic and I made up the plot as I went, but I guess this chapter kind of psychologically explains Viktor (canon, classic, machine herald) and the shell he's built around himself. Or maybe I'm thinking too hard on this because I'm taking AP Psych right now. Whoops.
> 
> I hope the next update doesn't take as long. Pray for me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm home sick so I decided to type up the next chapter. Not sure when the next update will be because I need to do some looking over what I had written. This was meant to be a oneshot so I had no plot when I originally wrote this. I guess this is more character-driven then.
> 
> I hope the dialogue in this chapter isn't too confusing. I did my best to clarify if it was Viktor or the Herald speaking, but the Herald likes being in control.
> 
> Also if there's typos, please forgive me OTL. I kind of froze my fingertips at a football game for band and, even after four days, it feels like pins and needles. I'll eventually go back and do revisions. Eventually.

Viktor opened his eyes blearily, his vision blurry against the morning light. He raised his head from his crossed arms on his table, his amber gaze falling upon a glass mug beside him that was half-full with coffee. He blinked a few times before using the back of his hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes. After clearing his vision for the most part, he glanced up to the plain clock he had mounted on the wall, which read _10:37_.

He concluded that the past experience he had had with the herald must have been a dream. He probably was doing research for a case and passed out... yes, that must be it. No reality hopping and alternate worlds and-

Viktor snapped out of his thinking when he heard a low grumble. He glanced around his room, searching for the origin, but he failed to designate it. Perhaps he was hearing things- maybe it was sleep deprivation causing him to hallucinate.

This time, a groan. The Piltovian knew this had to be real... there was no way he was imagining this.

_W-where am I?_

Viktor jolted bolt upright when he heard those words. How could he have been so stupid before? The voice was originating from his own mind; it could only be-

_Viktor?_

The Herald.

"Herald!" He found himself yelling, louder than he anticipated. "Y-you're not a hallucination?" In his morning haziness, he failed to realize he was conversing with a voice in his head, much less _out loud_.

Viktor felt his eye twitch, most likely the Herald's doing. "Did you just ask that?" The Zaunite inquired, speaking out of the cop's lips. It was odd to Viktor, not having full control of his body, but he knew the Herald had more of a need to be in control.

The Piltovian realized the other him was still awaiting a response. "Oh. Um, well... I guess waking up in my own body led me to believe that it was all just a dream," he answered quickly, almost sounding scared of upsetting the Herald.

"If anything," the cyborg began, running his hand through his hair, "I would believe _you_ not to be real."

Viktor pouted, stealing the hand from his other self to stifle a yawn. "This is fairly inefficient," he said offhandedly, furrowing his brow as he stood up. He received a grunt in response, knowing it was unanimous, and he just settled on making breakfast.

As the cop fried himself an egg, he heard the Zaunite ask with a small hint of hesitance, "Will you be seeing... Caitlyn?"

Realizing his slip-up, the Herald added, "and Vi? And what about Jayce?" He chuckled nervously and he knew his other self was definitely on his case now.

"Caitlyn, eh?" He mused, flipping the egg, "and Vi? A-and Jayce?" He mocked, much to the Herald's frustration and embarrassment.

Viktor felt his face contort. "W-will you cease this foolishness!" The Zaunite barked out, tightening the grip of the hand the Piltie wasn't using. "You shouldn't be mocking me," he nearly whispered, almost as if he was reassuring himself.

Perhaps this was the Herald showing weakness; just a fleeting thought in Viktor's mind while he served his breakfast. As he prodded the egg with his fork, he shot, "Are you alright with staying in my world?"

Almost back to his snarky self, the Zaunite shot back, "I have no other choice, it seems." He stuffed the egg on his fork into his mouth, a notion the other man would not have argued about.

With a mouthful, Viktor gestured with the utensil in his hand. "I guess it gives you a chance to see what Piltover is like," he began, raising his eyebrows, "it's a really nice place compared to Zaun- at least your memories of it."

"From what I've seen of Piltover," he rebutted, "it is made up of a society of citizens who believe they can do no wrong."

Viktor smirked, a light chuckled escaping him. "Lighten up! You act so cautious of anything new. Besides," he paused, finding his infatuation get the best of him, "Piltover has Caitlyn."

The Herald scoffed, "don't forget Vi and Jayce."

"Haha, yeah; you're right," he chuckled, getting up and putting the plate into the sink, "I best be heading to work. Remind me not to talk out loud to you, will ya?"

_That won't stop me from speaking out of your mouth._

Viktor sighed, knowing he had no control over his other self. _This is going to be a long day..._

* * *

_You walk to work?_ The Herald questioned, the idea foreign to him. Zaun is the sort of place one would avoid being seen in; if one was out in the open, they were vulnerable. Skepticism nearly emanated from him.

_It's pretty nice out,_ Viktor hummed in reply, _And Piltover is safe- for the most part._

The Zaunite scoffed. _"For the most part"..._ It was painfully obvious he did not enjoy Piltover. Perhaps he had I'll will either the city-state.

_I mean, think about the air- it's not polluted. And the sky- you can actually_ see _the sun!_

_I suppose so,_ he sighed, restricting himself from arguing, _Zaun is not the perfect place either but I_  did  _grow up there._

_Yeah, yeah... I didn't think you Herald- of all people- would be that into nostalgia,_ Viktor tsked, _you act like you hate Zaun._

_Perhaps._ The Herald clenched his left hand. _Maybe if I were you, I would have never augmented myself..._ It was almost as if the Herald was talking to himself- and he probably was. Being isolated from society for many years probably contributed to that.

Nearly walking directly into a passerby was what snapped Viktor back to reality. _Well... we're here._

A scowl. _No need to announce it._

Viktor pouted. _You're no fun._

_Did I ever say I was?_

The cop shook his head quickly before storming up the stairs to the building entrance. After entering, he headed to one of the main offices where he was met by Caitlyn, Vi, and Jayce.

"Look who it is!" It was Jayce who greeted him. "Oh. You look really pale, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," he stuttered back, "I'm fine. Didn't get too much sleep, is all."

_Not sure how time translates but we were in my world for awhile... you could have been in a coma this entire time for all you know..._

Caitlyn stepped towards him, her azure gaze shifting to her tea. "Will you be fine for today? We have a case and it's very dangerous-"

"N-no," he interrupted, "I'm fine. Really."

"If you're hiding something," Vi began, walking in his direction, "don't make me beat the answers out of you."

The three stared at him in the wait of a response that was not coming. Vi seemed intimidating but he knew she was all bark and no bite (with him, at least). That did not ease their stares, however.

" _I said I was fine!_ " He yelled out without even realizing it. Of course it hadn't been him, it was the Herald. Realizing this, Viktor immediately apologized, "I-I'm sorry... It's just you guys all staring me down isn't helping."

_Not even a thank you?_

_You didn't even earn it, Herald._

"Sorry, man," Jayce said, "we're just curious, that's all." He paused, "Vi? I'm not too certain about her."

" _Relax_ , Hammerboy," she drawled, "I wasn't going to hurt lil' Vikky."

Viktor's eye twitched. _"Lil' Vikky"?_

He sighed internally. _Best not to ask when it's coming from Vi._

"Can we settle down?" Caitlyn soothed, "I still haven't informed you three of today's case."

Vi slung her arm over the sheriff's shoulder. "What is it, Cupcait?"

Caitlyn took in a long breath to restrain herself from doing anything violent. "Anyways," she shook the remark off, recomposing herself, "it's Jinx again. She's vandalizing Piltover but is armed this time. We have no idea if she'll open fire."

_What a city you call home._

_Like yours is any better,_ Viktor snarked back, annoyed by the Herald. _We've been together for a few hours and I'm already sick of you._

"Vik?" Jayce asked, waving his hand in front of the cop's face, "You just blanked out on me. You sure you're alright?"

"I'll be fine," he lied, biting his tongue, "I'm just a bit tired."

Jayce sighed, knowing he was getting nowhere. "I'll take your word for it."

Viktor smiled lightly, pleased with the notion. As long as he could ignore the Herald and focus on Jinx, he would be fine.

_Keep telling yourself that._

* * *

"Was going on foot necessary?" Jayce inquired lazily, wearing himself out. The four we're jogging downtown and it was nearly unanimous that they should have carpooled.

"It's not horrible," Caitlyn began, trying to make the most of it. "Besides, we're almost there."

"Yeah, you can suck it up, Hammerboy," Vi snarked, shooting the brunette an amused glance, "like we haven't survived worse."

_Vi is exactly how I remember her._ The Herald said offhandedly, catching Viktor by surprise. _She was born in Zaun, left the gang, and came to Piltover in this timeline, correct?_

_Um, if I recall correctly, yes. Only difference in this world is us, I'm assuming._

_Perhaps, but you never know. There might be someone with a similar situation as us._

"Watch where you're going!" Came a shout, bringing the two back into reality. _I really need to pay more attention._

"You seem really out of it, Vik," Jayce started, even though he knew he wouldn't get anywhere (besides eliciting an "I'm fine," or "don't worry about me".)

"Jayce, you already know my answer," he answered, "but thank you for the concern- I'll be alright."

Caitlyn pouted. She knew there was something wrong, even if Viktor would not admit it. Even when he was sleep deprived- which was typically every other day- he was _never_ this oblivious and uncoordinated. She made a mental note to check up on him when this was all over.

All four of the Piltovians were caught off guard when a rocket flew between them. Glancing up simultaneously, four gazes met the crazed pink stare of Jinx. She was standing upon the roof of a building, Fishbones in her grasp and Pow Pow on her hip. She looked as though she was waiting for the four, ready for whatever game she had planned.

"Perfect timing!" She shouted deviously, a wide grin overtaking her face, "I needed people to play with."

Her eyes scanned over the four, and upon counting them, she pouted. "Aw, I need _three_ other people- one of you won't be able to play!"

"Jinx," Vi said through gritted teeth, fists clenching in her gauntlets, "we didn't come to play a game! Just turn yourself in and we can all save our time."

The bluenette put her hand on her chin, pretending to look as if she was in deep thought. "Let me think about it..." She perked up instantly, "How about _no_?"

She hopped off the roof with ease onto a lower ledge; she was still four or five feet above the gang, but she preferred the height advantage. "I have an idea: I'll do eenie-meenie-minie-mo!"

With confused gazes on her, Jinx used her index finger to point at the cops below her as she received the old rhyme. Towards the end, she began to slow down.

"And-" Jayce.

"You-" Vi.

"Are-" Viktor.

"It." Caitlyn.

She danced a step backwards in astonishment. It was when Jinx remounted Fishbones that the other three knew they had to act quickly.

_She's going to shoot Caitlyn._ The thought shot through his mind like a bullet and it became the only thing he knew. _She's going to shoot Caitlyn._

He became deaf to the world around him. He didn't hear Jinx laughing, the shouts of his friends; he didn't even hear the Herald yelling at him to act on impulse.

Almost as if in slow motion, he found himself mid-air, jumping to shove Caitlyn out of the rocket's path. He hardly felt the impact of the shot; he was numb to everything.

He couldn't help by smile helplessly, a feeling of grim triumph overtaking him. And then the world became dark around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. Didn't realize how much I liked this chapter until I typed it out. This might actually be my favorite out of the entire fic. Viktor and the Herald being snarky to one another is my new favorite trope.
> 
> Sorry for the cliffhanger but, like I said in the first A/N, I've gotta look over what I have written next. I still don't have this fic finished in my notebook because I may or may not have written myself into a corner. Whoops.
> 
> Pray for me.


End file.
